Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

felt completely cut off from society.”
    We hurried to our lockers as Sam filled me in on her boring weekend with her cousins. I had to tell her about my pedicure experience. She couldn’t believe I’d let fish peck away at my feet. I wanted to mention the weird apology note, but I didn’t have enough time before she rushed off to change for P.E. class.
    Just before I turned to walk towards the gym, I noticed someone’s ardent desires and reluctantly turned around. My gaze fell on Justin, a geeky Sophomore with greasy brown hair that rimmed the top of his glasses.
    “Hi,” Justin said with a stutter.
    Just my luck.
    I sighed on the inside. It was obvious where this awkward conversation was headed. Maybe if puberty had been kinder to his pockmarked face, or he was a little taller, I might possibly say yes to going to the dance if he asked, but his feelings left me feeling rather violated.
    “Hey,” I said with a straight face while shutting my locker door.
    “I, um—”
    A group of Junior cheerleaders walked by and giggled, whispering to each other. I sensed their insecurity, something I felt daily—more so from the popular kids than anyone. Their cruel teasing was only a cover-up of the real truth of how they viewed themselves deep inside.
    “Justin.” I cringed inside, but tried my hardest to protect his ego. “I’m late for class. What do you need?”
    His cheeks flushed and fear hit 7.0 on the Richter scale.
    “Oh, nothing.”
    He took off down the hall.
    Relieved, I shook Justin’s feelings off and walked to class, sitting alone on the bleachers as my classmates filed in one by one. Coach Hoffman split them up into teams to play volleyball. My doctor’s note was good until the end of the week and I planned to milk every day of it. And lucky for me, since the fields were drenched from the rain, the guys were playing basketball indoors. I shimmied down the bench inconspicuously, hoping Coach Hoffman wouldn’t catch me, so I could watch the boys play.
    My eyes were drawn towards the new guy with sandy blonde hair who just started school a few days ago—someone more my type. I wondered why I hadn’t noticed his surfer physique with broad shoulders and a strong upper body before today. He also had impressive basketball skills.
    His charisma was evident in his camaraderie between the other players. But the real test would be if he was as nice on the inside as he appeared on the outside; that was if we ever met.
    The distraction of watching the guys worked and before I realized it, the bell rang. I took off, hoping to find a warmer classroom in History. Being the first student to arrive, I tried to act busy until Sam came and sat next to me. Mr. Marshall was writing dates on the blackboard, preparing to review for our test tomorrow. Since I’d been daydreaming in class all week, I’d not taken any notes and stared at the unfamiliar topics on the board. I thought my life was over, until I read Open Note Test at the bottom. With relief and after my fingers defrosted, I asked to borrow Sam’s notes.
    “You going to the bonfire tonight?” she whispered.
    “Bonfire? I hadn’t heard about it.”
    “Some of the Seniors on the football team are getting together and Todd invited me to go,” she said, filled with anxiety and excitement.
    “Oh . . . I don’t know,” I said with apprehension, imagining the overly amorous environment. “I . . . have a lot of homework to do.”
    Her sudden disappointment and fear told me she wasn’t asking me to go, she needed me to go.
    “Really? Can you work on it after school?”
    Her doe-like eyes were more than I could bear.
    “Okay. I’ll try,” I said, feeling the atmosphere change in the classroom.
    Mr. Marshall had stopped lecturing and the silence was deafening. I looked up and met the source of the invisible loathing I sensed. My cheeks grew flushed and I quickly looked down and acted like I was writing, praying the silence would stop. I was relieved when he started lecturing again.
    Going to a senior bonfire sounded very intimidating to me. I’d never been invited to one by that crowd before. In the past, I figured I was overlooked because I wasn’t a cheerleader, rich, or good looking enough. But that was fine with me. Tonight though, I would be totally out of my element, especially if Sam left me to be alone with Todd. The more I thought about it, the more I regretted that I said I would go.
    English and Chemistry were a blur and before I knew